Car for tunnel-kilns



P. A. MEEHAN.

CAR FOR TUNNEL KILNS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.B. 1919.

2 SHEETS 1,328,749, 7 Patented Jan. 20,1920.

SHEET 1.

MW W iL i L ;l Wm

P. A. MEEH AN.

CAR FOR TUNNEL KILNS- APPLICATION FILED APR.8. 1919.

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

5 wvewtoz WM A [4.(01/

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL .A. MEEHAN, OF NEW CASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR '10 AMERICANDRESSLER TUNNEL KILNS, INQ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

CAR FOR TUNNEL-KILNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. PAUL A. MEEHAN, a citizen of the United States, andresident of New-Castle, in the county of Lawrence and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carsfor Tunnel-Kilns, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention consists 'in improvements in the construction ofcars especially devised for use as goods carrying cars for tunnel kilns,andthe general object of my invention is to provide a simple andrelatively inexpensive car construction well adapted to stand the severeoperating con- .ditions incident to its use in highly heated kilnshaving wheel mountings such that wheels may be readily taken out andreplaced when necessary for inspection, -repairs or renewal.

The various features of novelty, which characterize my invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention,however, and the advantages possessed by it reference should be had tothe accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in therein.

Fig. 2 is a Side elevation of the car frame and rails.

Fig. 3 is a partial section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.,

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the car portion shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 1, I have illustrated the use of my invention in a tunnel kilnof the Dressler type, but it is to be understood that my improved carconstruction is not necessarily restrictedto use in this particular typeof tunnel kiln. In the tunnel kiln shown, A represents the masonry ofthe kiln inclosing the kiln chamber A proper and a lower chamber Anormally filled by the bodies of the train of cars D moving throughthe'kiln along the track rails C. In the kiln chamber A proper,combustion chambers B are provided at the opposite sides of the pathwayfor the goods K mounted on the cars D. Air circulating channelsB areformed about the combustion chambers B and the refractory goodssupporting bodies E of the cars D are provided with tunnels E to permita circulation of the heated atmosphere in the tunnel chamber A upwardpast the combustion chambers and clownward through or along the goods,K. In so far as it-is specifically described above, the constructionillustrated contains nothing how novel with me.

Each car comprises a metallic car frame advantageously in the form of asingle steel casting on which the refractory body E formed of fire brickor the like is mounted. Each car also comprises a plurality ofsupporting wheels G and G and the present invention relates primarily tothe manner in which these wheels are mounted in the car frame. one ateach corner of the car. These four wheels are all alike except that, asshown, the two wheels G at one side of the car are provided with doubleflanges while the wheels G at the other side of the car are unfianged.Each wheel is ournaled on a separate supportlng axle F, advantageously aroller bearing comprising rolls H and gulde rings H bemg mterposedbetween each axle and the bore of the corresponding wheel G or G Thebody of each axle F is cylindrical, but the ends of the axle are reducedto provide flat sides F and preferably also as shown the ends of theaxles have flat upper edges F The reduced and flattened axle ends fit inrecesses or seats D formed in flanges D which are arranged to formguides or shrouds at the opposite sides of each wheel. Each of the seatsD is open at its lower end so that each wheel may be removed from thecar frame for inspection,

Patented Jan. 20, 1920..

As shown each car has four wheels repairs or renewal of the Wheel, axlesor bearings by simply jacking up the car frame, or by lowering the carwheel while holding the car frame stationary. To prevent accidentaldislocation 'of the axles F resulting from track inequalities or thelike, a bolt I may be mounted in the flanges D beneath each end of eachaxle F. These bolts are preferably secured in place by cotter pins J asshown. To permit of lubrication of the wheel bearings when this isdesired, a hole F is drilled in the outer end of each axle. Lubricatingmaterial may be squirted or otherwise put into the bearings throughthese holes.

To strengthen the metallic car frame and to restrict the flow of hot airor other gaseous medium in the tunnel downward about the Wheels andtrack rails to thereby raise the temperature to which the lower portionof the car is subjected, the metallic car frame is formed at its underside with transverse flanges or' webs D, D and D The upper side of themetallic car frame is also formed with ridges or flanges D forstrengthening the metallic car frame por tion of the car and foranchoring the refractory body material in place.

The wheel mounting described is characterized by its obvious simplicityand ruggedness and by the provisions made for protecting the wheelmountings from the high temperatures to which the goods K may besubjected. This temperature is frequently as high as, and is sometimeshigher than 2500 Fahr. Notwithstanding the simplicity of theconstruction, each Wheel is securely held in place in operation while itmay readily be removed from the car frame when necessary. Such warpingof parts as may normally be expected in practice under the temperatureconditions to which the car is subjected are not apt to materiallyinterfere with the practical effectiveness of the 1 Having now describedmy invention, what I claim as new and Letters Patent, is:

1. A car of the type specified, comprising of each axle in its seat.

3. A car of the type specified, comprising desire to secure by incombination a plurality of supporting wheels, a separate axle for eachof said wheels and a metallic car frame mounted on said wheels andformed with depending flanges arranged one at each side of each wheeland recessed to provide bearing seats open at their lower ends for andpositively engaged by each of said axles.

2. A car of the type specified, comprising in combination a plurality ofsupporting Wheels, a separate axle for each of said wheels and ametallic car frame mounted on said wheels and formed with dependingflanges arranged one at each side of each wheel and recessed to providebearing seats open at their lower ends for and positively engaged byeach end of each of said axles, said recesses and the ends of said axlesbeing so relatively shaped as to prevent rotation in combination aplurality of supporting wheels, a separate axle for each of said Wheelshaving reduced and flattened ends, a metallic car frame mounted on saidwheels and formed with depending flanges arranged one at each side-0feach wheel and recessed to provide bearing, seats open at their lowerends for and positively engaged by each end of each of said axles, saidrecesses and thereduced ends of said axles being so relatively shaped asto prevent rotation or endwisemovement of each axle in its seat, androller bearings interposed between the axles and the wheels journaledthereon, and held against endwise displacement by said flanges.

Signed at the city of vNew Castle, in the county of Lawrence and Stateof Pennsylvania this fifth day of April, A. D. 1919. I

PAUL A. MEEHAN.

Witnesses.

JAMES A. CHAMBERS, JOHN P. LooKHARn

